1996 BOWMAN'S BEST KOBE BRYANT #R23 ATOMIC REFRACTOR

As recently as mid-2018, Kobe fans could pick up his rookie Atomic Refractor in PSA 10 condition for under $1,600. Now, even after falling from its absurd peak of $62,730, the card still commands north of $18,000 as a PSA 10. A rising tide lifts all boats, too: Kobe's numbered 1998 Bowman’s Best Atomic Refractor, limited to 100 copies, commands nearly $7,000 after selling in 2016 for just more than $400.

2012 Panini Prizm

As a microcosm for the growth of the once-dormant original Panini Prizm set, a Gustavo Ayon Silver Prizm in PSA 10 condition sold on eBay via Buy It Now in December for more than $1,000. A cool G for Gustavo Ayon? What about the rest of a blended rookie crop — including rookie cards of 2011 and 2012 NBA Draft Picks — that included stars such as Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and more? And first-year Prizms of Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Shaq and a host of retired legends? It’s a surprise this product didn’t skyrocket sooner, given its ultra-sleek design.

2003 TOPPS LEBRON JAMES #221 1ST EDITION

Released in 20-pack boxes with 10 cards per pack and no inserts or parallels, the '03 Topps 1st Edition product was much like baseball's modern Opening Day line, almost a novelty for kids and modest collectors. Packs were very cheap and the product had nowhere near the allure of modern Bowman and Topps 1st Edition baseball products. As a result, far fewer LeBron rookies were graded, with half the graded population of his Topps Collection rookie card (616 1st Edition compared to 1,232 Collection, as of mid-February). With a PSA 10 count of just 121, this is one of LeBron's rarest novelty rookie cards.